Love in Xxchange: Rory's Last Chance by Bailey Bradford (poetry books to read txt) 📗

with Rory on his best behaviour. That wasn’t the only time they’d been in Chance’s office after what Rory thought of as the club revelation—he knew Chance knew it’d been Rory touching him and bringing him off at the club. Rory who had left a mark on the sexy tanned skin.

It was driving Rory crazy, because Chance had been sneaking peeks as often as he thought he could get away with it. Even if he hadn’t caught several of those secretive glances, Rory would have known Chance wanted him—it was evident in the hard erection the man RORY’S LAST CHANCE

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tried to cover any time the two of them were near each other.

Rory snorted. Well, it was obvious the man’s body wanted him, anyway. Even more so now that the results of that second post-revelation office visit were in. That was the visit when Chance had called him and Max in to let them know they’d need to go to town the next day, all three of them, for full physicals. Results had come in the mail today, and Rory had been unsurprised to be clean—he didn’t see how he wouldn’t be..

Despite the fact that Rory was perfectly healthy, he wasn’t very happy. Problem was, Rory had tried being good, and tried being bad, but nothing was working. It didn’t matter one bit if Chance’s prick was hard if the man wouldn’t let go of his prejudices.

Obviously, the boss wasn’t going to, which made Rory wonder what the hell was wrong with him? Yeah, he’d worked beside the man many times now and had come to admire his work ethic and intelligence. But it didn’t matter. The man didn’t want him. No, that wasn’t true—Chance didn’t want to want him.

Rory had a flashback to the club, of Chance trying to back away from two determined PYTs who’d had no regard for anything but their own desires. Was that what he was doing?

Chance had made his position more than clear and he hadn’t given in to his body’s demands, probably never would. Was that why he wanted the older man so much, because he was a challenge?

But Rory had wanted Chance as soon as he’d spotted him in the club, before h knew anything about Chance’s likes or dislikes.

“Fuck this.” Rory brushed his hair, still damp from the shower, and grabbed his hat.

He’d had enough of chasing his own thoughts in circles, and enough of feeling not good enough for anyone. He had lost his family, and the one man he was interested in was not reciprocating, and damn it, Rory was tired of feeling unloved and unwanted. The loneliness was a constant ache he kept buried under a façade of nonchalance, and that façade was wearing exceptionally thin tonight.

“Going out, Max, I’ll probably be in really late.” Or really early, depending on the point of view. He nodded at Max, who just stared at him, looking for all the world like he expected Rory to stop and ask what he wanted. Not happening. Frustration and anger and just plain need were tearing through Rory with steel talons and he could not deal with it any more.

Rory closed the door firmly behind him and sprinted from the porch to his truck, never mind if he looked like a fool. The only thing that mattered was getting the fuck away from RORY’S LAST CHANCE

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Chance Galloway, and just maybe, he could find someone who did want him, and the loneliness would quit tearing at him at least for the night.

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Chapter Six

He could do this. Working with Rory these past couple of weeks had been an eye-opening experience for Chance. The younger man worked hard and knew what he was doing. He wasn’t too proud to do any task, didn’t think he was too good to follow orders—

although he didn’t hesitate to speak up if he had a suggestion on how something could be done more efficiently. And damned if his suggestions weren’t dead-on.

The man had shown more restraint than Chance, more than he had thought Rory capable of, and a level of maturity that was impressive as hell. Chance took a minute to make sure his hair was brushed into place, checking his reflection for the hundredth time and trying to ignore the fine trembling of his fingers.

God, he was as nervous as a virgin, which was just stupid. He was far enough from a virgin, thanks to his horny youth, that if he had as many pricks sticking out of him as he’d had poking in him, he might come close to resembling a damn porcupine.

And wasn’t that part of his problem? Just because he’d been something on the easy side when he was younger, he thought everyone else was, too. Chance knew it was wrong to think like that, and he’d been working to try to rectify it, much as he’d worked to change his easy ways years ago.

The sound of an engine starting up and roaring down the drive penetrated Chance’s ruminations. Who would be leaving and where would they be going? Max didn’t have any family that Chance knew of, and Rory’s family had disowned him, besides which they were over a thousand miles away.

Rory… A sinking feeling in the pit of Chance’s gut had him rushing out of his house and banging on the bunkhouse door. He’d looked around quick enough to know Rory’s truck was gone, and that fact had anger battling with fear and shame. Max pulled the door open, a knowing look in his eyes when he saw Chance standing there.

Chance started to speak then realised he didn’t quite know how to ask what he wanted to know. It wasn’t like Rory didn’t have the right to enjoy his evening off, and it for damn sure wasn’t like Chance had the right to out anyone other than himself to Max.

“He left, said he’d be in late.”

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The sinking feeling in Chance’s gut turned into